Set up and operate a variety of machine tools to produce precision parts and instruments out of metal. Includes precision instrument makers who fabricate, modify, or repair mechanical instruments. May also fabricate and modify parts to make or repair machine tools or maintain industrial machines, applying knowledge of mechanics, mathematics, metal properties, layout, and machining procedures.
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Licensing, certifications and working conditions
State licensing. Machinists is licensed or registered in 2 of 57 states and territories, as reported by each state to CareerOneStop. A license often applies only to certain roles within a career, and records were last updated between 2010 and 2024, so confirm requirements with the state licensing board.
Certifications. CareerOneStop directly links 33 professional certifications to Machinists. 16 of them are in CareerOneStop's "Core" group, for example: CAM Turning Programmer, Certified Metalworking Fluids Specialist (CMFS), CNC Lathe Operations, Machining for Career-Technical Education (SP2), Machining Level I - CNC Lathe Programming Setup & Operations. Certifications are voluntary credentials offered by the organizations named; listing one is not an endorsement.
Working conditions. On average, workers stand or walk about 7.5 hours and sit about 1.1 hours per day. The typical heaviest weight lifted or carried is about 40.0 pounds. For 57.9% of workers the job requires medium strength. Shares of workers who interact with the general public (9.8%), have a consistently fast work pace (49.6%), cannot pause their work (50.6%), and are exposed to the outdoors (7.5%). From the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Requirements Survey (2023 estimates); figures describe the occupation on average.
Sources: CareerOneStop (licenses and certifications), part of the CareerOneStop suite of web products, sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor Employment and Training Administration; U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (working conditions, wages). MajorPays has reorganized this information; these agencies have not approved or endorsed it. See it interactively, with state-by-state detail →
More data on this career
Pay by education level. Among full-time, year-round machinists ages 25 to 64, median yearly pay is $60,900 with a high school diploma or GED, $60,900 with some college or an associate's degree and $59,900 with a bachelor's degree (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024 dollars). Pay differs for many reasons besides education, such as experience, employer and location.
Industries that employ this career. The largest shares of machinists work in Manufacturing (88%), Transportation and Warehousing (2%), Public Administration (2%) and Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (1%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Where the jobs are, and what they pay by industry. Nationwide, the industries that employ the most machinists are Machine Shops; Turned Product; and Screw, Nut, and Bolt Manufacturing (27% of the jobs counted, median pay $55,660), Machinery Manufacturing (10% of the jobs counted, median pay $59,780), Metalworking Machinery Manufacturing (7% of the jobs counted, median pay $57,980), Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing (7% of the jobs counted, median pay $64,140) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025). Among large industries, the highest median pay is in Aerospace Product and Parts Manufacturing ($64,140), Engine, Turbine, and Power Transmission Equipment Manufacturing ($61,230), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing ($61,180). Pay differs by industry for many reasons, including the mix of jobs and where employers are located.
What workers studied. Among machinists with a bachelor's degree or higher, the most common fields of the bachelor's degree are Mechanical Engineering (8%) and Business Management and Administration (6%) (Census Bureau American Community Survey, 2024).
Injury and illness rates. For machinists, employers reported 108.9 nonfatal injury and illness cases with days away from work per 10,000 full-time workers, compared with 94.6 for all U.S. workers; the median case kept the worker away 8 days (all workers: 8) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2023-2024). Rates reflect the work setting as well as the occupation.
Union membership. In the broad group "Production", which includes this career, 11.9% of wage and salary workers belong to a union (all U.S. workers: 10.0%); median weekly pay is $1,161 for union members and $945 for workers not in a union (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Current Population Survey, 2025). This is a group figure, not specific to machinists.
Employer benefits. In the broad group "Production", which includes this career, 75% of civilian workers had access to an employer retirement plan, 80% had access to employer medical care benefits, and 77% had paid sick leave, 90% paid vacation and 92% paid holidays (all civilian workers: 75%, 74%, 83%, 77% and 79%) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, National Compensation Survey, March 2026). This is a group figure, not specific to machinists, and having access to a benefit does not mean every worker uses it. The Bureau of Labor Statistics has not endorsed this presentation. Employers spent about $37.63 per hour worked on total compensation for the occupational group "Production" in June 2026 ($25.21 in wages and salaries and $12.42 in benefits, 33.0% of the total; all civilian workers: $49.46, with 31.6% in benefits) (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, Employer Costs for Employee Compensation).
Work environment. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, the conditions most often placed at the two highest levels for machinists are: wear common protective or safety equipment such as safety shoes, glasses, gloves, hearing protection, hard hats, or life jackets (100%), importance of being exact or accurate (100%), spend time using your hands to handle, control, or feel objects, tools, or controls (96%), spend time standing (89%), face-to-face discussions with individuals and within teams (86%), time pressure (81%). Each percentage is the share of respondents choosing the top two levels for that condition (for example 'most of the time' or 'continually'), so it describes how common the condition is in the job, not how a particular workplace is (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Typical preparation. In O*NET's survey of workers in this occupation, for on-the-job training, the most common answer (34% of 27 respondents) was "over 3 months, up to and including 6 months". These are what workers report is needed to do the job; employers' requirements and individual paths vary (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Related careers. O*NET lists these occupations as similar to machinists in the work done and the skills used: Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Operators, Milling and Planing Machine Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, Tool and Die Makers, Lathe and Turning Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, Computer Numerically Controlled Tool Programmers, Multiple Machine Tool Setters, Operators, and Tenders, Metal and Plastic, Aircraft Structure, Surfaces, Rigging, and Systems Assemblers, Tool Grinders, Filers, and Sharpeners (O*NET 31.0 Database, U.S. Dept. of Labor, ETA, CC BY 4.0).
Pay by state. See what machinists earn in each state, with the pay range and number of jobs: Machinists salary by state (U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, May 2025).
Compare machinists with other careers (pay, growth, openings and education side by side).
Sources: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 PUMS (MajorPays' own estimates from the survey; Census is credited as the source of the original data and has not endorsed them); BLS Survey of Occupational Injuries and Illnesses; BLS Current Population Survey; BLS National Compensation Survey (employee benefits); HRSA National Center for Health Workforce Analysis; U.S. Department of Labor, Office of Foreign Labor Certification (LCA disclosure data, FY2025). MajorPays has selected and reorganized these figures; these agencies have not approved or endorsed them. See it interactively →
Machine Tool Technology/Machinist
CIP 48.0501
Machine Shop Technology/Assistant
CIP 48.0503